Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud told participants at a Youth Forum on Agriculture at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) that many opportunities exist in the industry and that agriculture should not be “looked down on.”
The Government Information Agency (GINA) said the minister aimed at encouraging more youth participation in the ‘Grow more’ campaign by dispelling negative perceptions about the sector. Youth from several regions: three, four, five and ten, comprised the audience at the GSA on Saturday. Persaud also said the administration is seeking to strengthen its youth resources by “stimulating …their interest in agriculture” through programmes included in the secondary, university and other tertiary level curricula.
The minister said the aging farming population and the decreasing number of farmers in Guyana is a major concern. “Guyana’s development and potential rest on agriculture and if we intend to increase development we have to ensure the agriculture sector is strong and this would include us preparing ourselves at the individual and national level,” Persaud said. At the individual level, it would require young potential farmers acquiring a secondary education and skills in order to provide quality products. He said young people have to prepare themselves and government is willing to provide the training, skills and facilities to ensure they are fully equipped. In keeping with this participants were given agricultural kits comprising seeds, other plant materials and tools to assist them.
During the interactive session of the meeting the students requested more land for cultivation and materials. In response, Persaud said government is working closely to recover land that has been abandoned especially those allocated for farming, those that have not been used. New land development for farming is also being considered.
The minister also said there were tremendous opportunities for young people in agriculture that would help in developing the country. He said too agriculture has also helped to strengthen relations between Guyana and other countries especially in the building structures for strengthening drainage and irrigation. Additionally, the meeting also focused on a working session which provided information on the ‘Grow more campaign, careers in agriculture, possibilities for financing, land acquisition and other informational aspects for students, teachers and others.
